Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein joins CBC board of directors

One of Ottawa’s most prominent entrepreneurs will help to guide Canada’s public broadcaster for the next five years.

Harley Finkelstein, Shopify’s chief operating officer, broke the news on Twitter that he’d be joining the CBC’s board of directors. In a video, he talked about his upbringing with the public broadcaster and the role CBC has played for him “in identifying what Canada’s all about.”

I'm excited (and honoured!) to announce that I've been appointed to the Board of Directors of the @CBC & @iciradiocanada. I took a few moments to explain what this means to me, and what I hope to accomplish in this role. 🇨🇦 🚀 📺 pic.twitter.com/vvBJo9bAKi

This isn’t Mr. Finkelstein’s first stint with mother corp. He’s one of the titular dragons on Next Gen Den, a web-only version of CBC’s popular pitch show Dragons’ Den. The spin-off series is intended to be more mobile-friendly and aimed at a younger generation of entrepreneurs.

A statement announcing his appointment also highlighted his advisory roles at C100 and Felicis Ventures, two organizations that “promote innovation.”

Mr. Finkelstein closed his social media video with a sense of responsibility and a pledge to make the CBC relevant for future generations.

“I will do whatever I can, whatever is in my power in the next couple of years, to make sure the CBC is the pride and joy of Canada and is truly our flagship brand.”